1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to user interfaces. The invention is more particularly related to user interfaces for phone and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). And, the invention is yet more particularly related to combining phone and PDA user interfaces on a single processing device.
2. Discussion of Background
Personal computer systems and their applications have become common tools in modern society. To organize their lives, many personal computer users use personal information management applications such as an address book and a daily organizer on their personal computers. Although such applications have proven useful for personal information management, their utility is limited by the fact that the person must be sitting at their personal computer system to access the information.
To remedy this limitation, palmtop computers, electronic organizers and other handheld devices, commonly known as personal digital assistants (PDA's), have been introduced. The PDA is a computer that is small enough to be handheld or placed in a pocket, and allows a user and run various applications including personal information management applications such as address books, daily organizers, etc. These applications make. people's lives easier.
The most popular brand of PDA is the Palm™. However, the Palm™ is much more than a simple PDA. A basic configuration of the Palm™ 100 is shown in FIG. 1. This small, slim, device, about the size of your wallet, can hold 6000 addresses, 5 years of appointments, 1500 to-do items, 1500 memos, 200 e-mail messages, and can run many different software applications.
The front of the PalmR3 100 is a large LCD screen 110 which is touch-sensitive and allows a user to enter and manipulate data. A stylus (not shown) is provided with the Palm™ to help in making touch screen inputs. By using the stylus (or another handheld pointer) to interact with a touch-sensitive screen, a palmtop user can easily navigate through a host of built-in programs, software, and other applications.
Today, the Palm™, PDA and other handheld computing devices offer Internet connectivity capabilities, as well as a vast array of hardware and software choices. Palmtops have evolved from simple organizers into a new kind of handheld that people use to instantly manage all kinds of information, from email, to medical data, to stock reports.
Mobile telephones (cell phones, PCS, satellite phones, etc) are also common tools in today's world. Many cell hones include rudimentary functionality for maintaining call lists, or phone book information, to help alleviate the burdens associated with managing contacts and tracking phone numbers.
However, despite the great capabilities and conveniences of the modern PDA, and the cell phone, many innovations are needed for expanding the capabilities and for increasing the convenience of using PDAs and cell phones.